Mouthpiece for reed-instruments



(No Moae.)

F.oLAPP; l MOUTHPIEGE EURI REED INSTRUMENTS.

NUl 554,242. y Patented Feb. 11, 1896.-

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

FREDERICK OLAPP, OF MILLERS FALLS, MASSACHUSETTS.

MOUTH PIECE FOR RED-INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,242, dated February 11, 1896.

Application filed June 1l, 1895. Serial No. 552,460. (No model.)

To all whom, it ntay concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK CLAPP, a citizen of the United States, residing at Millers Falls, in the county of Franklin and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Mouthpiece for Reed-Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a mouthpiece for clarinets, saxophones, and similar reed-instruments, the object in view being to provide means for adjusting the reed to secure the desired interval between the tip or point thereof and the face of the mouthpiece.

Heretofore it has been the practice, when the tip or point of the reed is at too great or too small an interval from the face of the mouthpiece, to bend or deflect the same; but such an operation, in addition to being accomplished with the risk of defacing or injuring the mouthpiece, is effective only to a4 limited degree and for a short time, for the' reason that the natural elasticity of the cane of which the reed is formed ultimately returns vit to its original shape and position. Therefore it is the main object of my invention to provide means for adjusting the reed positively to avoid the bending thereof, and hence arrange the tip or point permanently at the desired interval from the mouthpiece.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a clarinet-mouthpiece constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section of the same.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in both figures of the drawings.

l designates a mouthpiece of the kind employed for clarinete, which may be made of wood, hard rubber, metal, or any other suitable material, and 2 a reed of the ordinary kind, which is arranged in contact with the iiat face 3 of the mouthpiece and held in place by any suitable means-as, forinstance, the clamp 4. shown in the drawings. This clamp is of the ordinary construction with front and rear adjusting-screws 5 and 6.

The rear or butt end of the reed is arranged in contact with and held in place by a tongue 7 provided with means whereby its rear end may be adjusted toward and from the axis of the mouthpiece to vary the pitch of the reed, and hence vary the interval between the tip or point thereof and the face of the mouthpiece. This tongue may be constructed in a variety of ways, of which one only is shown in the drawings, the same being integral with the mouthpiece and formed by sawing or providing in any suitable way a kerf 9, approximately parallel with the plane of the face of the mouthpiece, whereby an interval or space separates the surface of the tongue from the contiguous portion of the mouthpiece. In practice the tongue -is preferably increased slightly toward its upper or front end, where it is attached to the mouthpiece in order to provide the necessary strength and spring action.

In the drawings, the mouthpiece is shown as constructed of wood or hard rubber, in which case I preferably attach a strengthening-plate 10 of metal to the exterior surface of the tongue to receive the strain of the adjusting devices, which, in the construction illustrated, consists of thumb-screws ll.

The strengthening-plate is provided with an undercut or dovetailed shoulder l2 for engagement with the beveled extremity of the tongue, and the thumb-screws bear at their extremities against a wear-plate 13 secured to the mouthpiece contiguous to the free end of the tongue.

It will be understood that when the mouthpiece is constructed of metal or of other material of suflicient strength to bear the strain the adjusting devices may be applied directly to the tongue, thus avoiding the use of the additional or strengthening plate shown in the drawings, and, furthermore, it will be understood that while I have shown thumbscrews for adjusting the free end of the tongue other means the equivalent of these may be employed to vary the elevation of the tongue or the interval between the same and the contiguous portion of the mouthpiece; also, it will be understood that the clamp which is shown in the drawings for holding the reed in place may be substituted by any other ordinary or equivalent device-as, for instance, the cord or thread frequently used in this IOO connection. XV hen the clamp is employed, however, the adjustment of the tip or point of the reed may be accomplished al'ter the parts have been arranged in operative position by loosening the rear screw of the clamp and subsequently tightening' it to lock the parts in the desired position.

lVhen the tip or point of the reed curvesV toward the i'ace ot' the mouthpiece t-he proper interval between said parts may be secured byadjusting the free end of the tongue toward the axis of the mouthpiece, and when said tip or point curves outward or from the tace of the mouthpiece the tongue may be adjusted :from the axis, and it' after use the reed becomes distorted so as to diminish or increase the in terval between its tip or point and the contiguous portion oi' the mouthpiece the necessary adjustment may be accomplished with facility and accuracy, thereby avoiding the necessity, as in the usual practice, ol' replacing the reed.

Various other changes inthe form, propor tion, and the minor details of construction maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of. this invention.

ll'aving described my invention, what l claim isl. In a mouthpiece for reed-instruments, the combination with the reed, of adjusting devices to Vary the interval between the tip or point of the reed and the contiguous portion of the mouthpiece, substantially as specified.

2. In a mouthpiece for reed-instrunrents, the combination with the reed, of a tongue supporting the reed, and means for adjusting the tongue to vary the interval between the reed tip or point and the contiguous portion ot' the mouthpiece, substantially as specified.

In a mouthpiece for reed-instruments, the combination with the reed, of a flexible tongue supporting the rear or butt end of the reed, and means l'or adjusting the tongue to vary the position of the reed with relation to the face of the mouthpiece, substantially as specilied.

l. In a mouthpiece [or reed-instruments, the combination with the reed, of a tongue integral with the mouthpiece and adapted to support the rear or butt end el the reed, and means for adjusting said tongue, substantially as specified.

In a mouthpiece i'or reed-instruments, the combination with the reed, ol' a tongue integral with the mouthpiece, a strengthening-plate for the tongue, and means connected to the strongthening-plate :t'or adjusting the tongue to vary the position ot' the reed, substantially as speciiied.

(5. Ina mouthpiece for .reed-instruirrenis7 the combination with the reed, of a tongue integral with the mouthpiece and provided with a beveled extremity, a strengtheningplate provided with an undercut or dovetailed shoulder to engage said beveled extremity of the tongue, and means connected to the strengtheningp1ate l'or adjusting the tongue to vary the position of the reed, substantiall y as specified.

7. In a mouthpiece for reed-instrumenis, the combination with the reed, ot' a tongue for supporting the rear or butt end ot' the reed, and thumlrscrews ii'or Vvarying the interval between the l'ree endv oi. the tongue and the contiguous portion oi.l the mouthpiece to adjust the tip or point ot' the reed, substantially as speciiied.

8. In a mouthpiece for reed-instrumenis, the combination with the reed and au adjustable clamp for securing the same to the mouthpiece, of a tongue supporting the rear or buii end of the reed and spaced from the mouthpiece, and means for adjusting the free end of the tongue, the clamp being adjustable to correspond with the adjustment ol' the tongue, substantially as specilied.

In testimony that I claim the Vforegoing as my own I have hereto atiixed my signature in the presence oit' two witnesses.

FREDERICK CLAlI.

Vitnesses:

PAUL Mooivnv, NENA AUoUsrA. 'liiouiin'lx 

